


Man's Man's World

by Chipuliara



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, alone in the office, and so there's hope, but not to sousa, thompson is a dickhead
Language: Français
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25405879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chipuliara/pseuds/Chipuliara
Summary: Post S1. Jack Thomspon wasn't, like Sousa, aware of the worth of women in a world overcontrolled by men. And it was, according to Daniel, his deepest flaw. Maybe even his only one. / Enjoy!
Relationships: Daniel Sousa/Jack Thompson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Man's Man's World

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story in 2015, and a french version is available on FF.net :)  
> Also, as english isn't my first langage, I do appreciate feedback on the form! (on the content too, but, y'know \o/ )

Daniel didn’t even knew why he’d stayed that late at the office that night. Neither why he’d stayed that late at the office the nights before that. SSR’s corridors were empty, deserted. Dark, too. The only lights that persisted were the one from his personal desk, and the one that were coming through the window’s blinds from Chief Thompson’s private office. – because _Chief_ was how they were supposed to call him now.

He started to put back his files in order for the night and quickly rearrange his desk for it to be more practical in the morning. It was time for him to leave and he definitely wasn’t going to spend the night in here. I was already picturing himself taking his coat, his hat, his briefcase and his crutch and shuting off his light before staring for a few more seconds his new boss’ closed door. He kind of did that, quite often, hoping that maybe he would shut off his light too and got out of that room. That, maybe, he could allow himself some rest.

But at the same time, Daniel was angry at him. He wanted to tell him, too, but it was never the right time, never the right place. He was mad at him for not having mentioning Peggy in their last case. She had been of such great importance, she had saved so many lives, and Thompson had just… kept all of the credit all for himself. His face closed off. He had thought that, having learnt to know her more, it would have change him, at least a little bit. That, at least, he would have been able to recognize her worth in front of someone else.

_Crac_.

There were like an extra beat in Sousa’s chest. It was the floor before him that just cracked, and he knew what that meant. Thompson was going to open his door, and he was going to see him here, half in the dark, ready to leave but still there anyway, looking in his direction. He had to look away.

But the door opened and Daniel hadn’t moved a bit. Jack saw him, and they looked at each other a moment without a word. Then agent Thompson raised a sardonic eyebrow, and Sousa swallowed.

“What?”

“N-nothing,” tried Daniel, “I was about to take off.”

The other one rolled his eyes and turned around to go to the closest water fountain. ‘‘ _Well have a nice evening, Sousa.’’_ Everything in his attitude was screaming sarcasm. It was to a point where Daniel wasn’t sure anymore if he was supposed to see him as a normal guy in an armor of bitterness, or just as a deep jerk.

“Why did you do that?”

One couldn’t have seemed more bored by a conversation. He had poured himself a cup of cool water, he drank it and took another one, this time taking his time. He turned to Sousa, waiting for the rest of it, and Daniel didn’t even blink when he said:

“Taking away from Carter all the recognition she deserves.”

He had sounded cold and he knew that it was necessary if he wanted Jack to react, but he couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty about it, just for a moment. Thompson raised his eyebrows so high that Sousa thought it really was misplaced. It was like he was mocking him, Daniel didn’t like that. But he also knew that it was how Jack was, that had nothing to do with him personally.

“What would you have wanted me to do?” answered Jack, perplex. “Tell the truth?”

“Exactly.”

His voice was barely shaking, and it was more of rage than of fear. He felt his fists closing up slowly, almost as a reflex. His hands were clammy. The other one had a slight smile, like he was suddenly caught in some sort of incredulity. Like he was thinking that it was Sousa, now, that was mocking him. But Daniel was dead serious.

“To a powerful man like him?” insisted Thompson. “How do you think it would have work out?”

He was almost laughing, but there weren’t any joy on his face. Daniel frowned. It looked like… sadness… or something close. He saw him arms wide opened, not thinking about his glass anymore that by some miracle didn’t spilled everywhere. It was like he asked him to look around, to think twice before saying anything like that ever again.

“The- the word isn’t ready, Sousa!” he said like it was obvious.

But there weren’t anything obvious for Daniel. He raised his eyebrows, just a bit. He looked at Jack, then around those empty desks around them, like the answer could have been there hiding somewhere under his nose. But no, he couldn’t see what Thompson seemed to mean.

“Not reading for what?” he asked, incredulous.

“For women like Carter!”

And he seemed to be so sure about what he just said that Daniel needed a second to digest it. So that was what he thought, that really was what Thompson thought to be true?

“I can’t believe it…”

A few words he couldn’t help but whisper, from the tip of his lips. How in his mind were things supposed to change, how “women like Carter” were supposed to take their place in this man’s world if they didn’t start right now to give them the credit they earned? The world wouldn’t just be “ready” like that someday! They had to… they had to _make it_ ready, and that was something that men in their position had the power to do. Thompson frowned, as he was the witness of the odd but silent revelation his agent seemed to be having.

“What?” he asked.

“The worst is that you could- you could be a great guy!” he almost whined.

It was so frustrating it was surreal. How a man like Agent Thompson, with that much presence, that much poise, could be so… “ _so_ ”. So closed up, so stubborn, so _blind_. Daniel looked away, than faced him again. He felt so restless. He closed his eyes a moment, took a few seconds to get his calm back. He then opened his eyes again he looked up.

“You like your job,” he said, “you like your country, you’re a good agent… you’re loyal, you’re intelligent. But Jack, you don’t see past your bloody arrogance.”

Silence. Walking toward him while talking might not have been the greatest idea he ever had, but at least he had the satisfaction of seeing him look down, and looking just a tiny bit less confident. He seemed… less… dangerous… He saw him swallow, heard him clear his throat, a bit.

“That’s not true” he said softly.

“Isn’t it?”

He had no idea where was his past aggressively, but it was gone, Daniel had lost it. He still was disappointed, though. Disappointed by Thompson and the way he saw the world and the people living in it. He wanted to _believe_ , still, that there was more humanity in him that what he seemed to think. Yet, he couldn’t quite convinced himself that he was wrong, like things were the way Jack thought it was.

“For me to believe that you’d have to prove it, Thompson,” he said sadly. “Name just one agent here that you respect more than yourself.”

And he wanted, he really wanted for him to give an answer, any answer. But Jack looked up, like he was taken aback. He saw him open his mouth to talk, close it to think, open it again but nothing seemed to come to his mind. He finally closed his mouth and looked down again, nervously, like he was still trying to think of something to tell him. But Sousa got it. Sadden, he looked down too.

“I knew it…”

There was not much more to say, and so he turned his back to walk away, like he should have done hours ago.

“Daniel, wait!”

He felt a hand on his arm and stopped, frozen. He turned around, slowly, just an inch, his face painted with shock, toward the man beside him. In spite of himself, he felt his heart rate slightly go up. It was foolish, but that’s how it was. Because they were alone in the SSR building, because it was dark and because right here, and right now, in the weak lighting of the Chef’s office, Jack had just called him “Daniel” for the first time.

“There’s… there’s you?” said Jack.

But Daniel couldn’t believe it. He frowned, and smirked. Him? That would be a first. If there was an agent here who was putting up with Thompson’s childish behavior all the time from the day he first came to this Service, it was Sousa. And from what he could tell, it had nothing to do with respect.

“We can’t say it’s obvious,” he mocked.

“I know.”

Sousa slowly lost his grin. The way Jack had to… he seemed so… sincere that… Daniel frowned, slightly, so slightly it was barely visible. What could possibly drive a man to pretend to not respect another? He could see the advantage to do the opposite, socially, politically. But, from Thompson, towards him, it wasn’t… it wasn’t making any sense.

Well…

Yes, he _did_ know a reason. To think “it’s funny” and say “it’s annoying”. To think “you’re adorable” and say “you’re an idiot”. He had saw, had witnessed women acting like that. But… it wasn’t like… Well, Jack wasn’t… and himself didn’t…

They both realized then that Thompson still was holding his arm, Daniel cleared his throat and Jack let him go, embarrased. A few second went by, really slowly, and they didn’t know what to say. Daniel had never been that close to anyone for a long time. He thought about steeping back, but didn’t. Maybe it was that heat, coming from the body inches away from him.

“I…”

It came from his throat. Thompson probably wanted to break the silence, but didn’t find anything to say. It was awkward. Daniel’s eyes went down on his colleague’s lips but he immediately looked away. He would have wanted to… but he didn’t want Jack to punch him in the face or anything.

“I will… maybe, hm…”

“Yeah,” said Sousa. “Yeah, me too.”

_Go_. But neither of them went anywhere. Daniel could almost feel his colleague’s breath on his cheek. Could he? He understood then that the heat he felt was Jack, who had slowly stepped closer. Did he realized? Or was it unintentional, like trampling, due to their uncommon situate- Daniel’s eye opened wide, all though suddently vanishing from his mind. Jack was slowly… leaning… towards him.

What was he going to do? What was is supposed to do? He could feel, second after second, Jack’s lips leaning closer and closer. It was aching low in his stomach, banging in his chest. His breath was shaking when Thompson’s mouth touched his so softly, so chastely that the caress seemed fragile.

Jack’s eyes were closed, and so Daniel closed his too. And then, slowly, he kissed him harder. It lasted… a few seconds, no more. Just the time of a breath, maybe two. If they had been in a romantic movie it would have been music. But there was nothing more than silence and empty desks, and Daniel could’ help a slight smile when they parted, slowly. They did it. They kissed.

“I told you, Jack,” he whispered against his lips. “You could be a great guy.”

He stepped back, his face still soften by a smile. He was as excited as a child and yet had never felt more like a man. He had kissed Jack. He took his briefcase back and, with his crutch, he turned to the door. He needed all his will to not look back.

“Se-see you tomorrow! See you tomorrow, Sousa.”

But he failed, and did look back, one last time, to look at his colleague still standing in the dark. Thompson too had this slight smile, half-idiot, half-tender. It melted what was left of his stomach. So with a last smile he turned away, for good this time, and left the office thinking that maybe, in the end, Thompson was not that much of a hopeless case.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! :D


End file.
